The Starlight Chasers
by Briar Hecate
Summary: The story of Malcom Reynolds' son and his adventures on the Serenity.
1. Prologue

Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; and at last some crisis shows what we have become.

- Brooke Foss Westcott

Men strive for peace, but it is their enemies that give them strength, and I think if man no longer had enemies, he would have to invent them, for his strength only grows from struggle.

- Louis L'Amour

*

There were some things that were not talked about in the Reynolds' household.

One of them was the battle of Serenity Valley. The scars that criss-crossed Mal's body like biological zippers were only visible at rare intervals of time. Inara and their son, Mal Jr., would not bring up the subject and if somehow the word slipped into casual conversation they would have to wait patiently for Mal to finish seemingly infinite rants.

The second was the death of Hoban Washburne. It was a subject lightly danced around by both Inara and Mal. Their son soon learned the rules of this too, as he had grown to befriend Wash's son Hoban Jr. (mostly because they were the only two in the community that were named after their fathers) and every time Father's Day came 'round he'd notcie the subtle pain that flashed in his friend's eyes. Wash, however, was constant in their lives and every so often he'd present himself in dialogue but Mal was careful to sidestep any unpleasent memories to keep the company laughing.

The third was the ugliness of the _Serenity_, which was parked inconveniently to the side of the house and cast a dark shadow over it during midday. Inara had begged Mal to move it, but he simply refused. Every waking minute of Mal Reynold's spare time was spent in that sad machine, tweaking a little there, fixing this and that. Mal Jr. would spend most of his time there to and then after a while as Mal Sr. grew older their conversations grew more philiosophical.

Every once in a while Mal Sr would mention, "She hasn't lost her charm, eh boy?"

And his son would come back with a sly reply which would end in fits of shallow laughter. But, he knew better than to insult the spacecraft his father loved so dearly. He had heard stories of how it had saved his life and the lives of many others. There were colorful tales of the ship surviving Godknowswhat in the untamed beauty of the space frontier.

And after a while, Mal Jr began feeling the same love his father had felt. Not for the ship itself, but more for the dream of the spacecraft. The idea of where it could take him and what he may find began filling his head with thoughts of getting off the dustbowl planet he'd been unjustly born on and into the life that was happening beyond the stars. Beyond the millions of stars.

So it was only fair that when the time came that he inherited the ship.

.


	2. Battle

I was beginning to get a little nervous.

Rays of light flashed over our heads like fake stars in the twilight. The world we were on had three suns that were now setting. The lowest one was just peaking over the horizon. I sucked in a breath of the cool night air which was now stale with the scent of gasoline and charred flesh. Our squadrant had been pushed farther into the tree line to take cover. The field we had been fighting in was now lost.

My heart pounded against my rib cage. I had distanced myself from the captain while fighting and looking around now I could see the exhausted faces of the many men and women looking for their leader.

"Where the hell is the bastard?" I muttered to myself, searching the trees for him.

Another rain of bullets preseted themselves from the field. The enemy was closing in on us. I reloded my gun, though now I was worried it was too late. More people were falling around us. I squeesed the trigger and felt the miniscule explosion pound from the barrel of my rifle. Licking my lips I pushed my way toward the field. I could see the lights flashing off of heavy machinery.

So, the Alliance had decided that this battle _was_ important. Interesting.

I was about to open fire on one of the larger vehicles that was firing at the troops, but a pair of hands pulled me down. I could feel myself trip into a crudely dug, shallow trench. Spitting dirt out of my mouth I made an attempt to scramble to my feet. The pair of hands pushed me down once more, pinning me to the moist, cold earth.

"What the-"

"Shut up."

It was Hoban. And when I got the chance, I'd kill him. But right now, I decided to listen to him. There were no more sounds coming from the feild. We both slowed our breathing and pricked our ears to the sounds around us.

A bird flew out of a tree. A rodent scuttled along some dried leaves. Then there were the sound of heavy boots falling along the ground. I held my breath and clutched the handle on my rifle.

I wouldn' let them get away. Not this time.

Hoban's grip on me loosened a little. I could tell that we were thinking the exact same thing. That was the good thing about Hoban and I. We'd known each other for so long it was as though we had no need to communicate. Hoban's hand went to his weapon as well. I dared to lift my face out of the dirt. I silently thanked my friend for his intentional face-planting.

Now my complexion would be better hidden. And the rest of my body, too

_One... _

I tensed the muscles in my body, preparing myself for the attack.

_Two..._

I could hear the soft sounds of their lungs filling with air as the enemy neared us.

_Three..._

I leapt out of the trench with Hoban towing close behind. We yelled and the surprised enemy did not even have time to respond. We emptied a clip in a few short seconds, watching the samll group fall to the ground. They were heaped in a pile, black leather and all. I sighed heavily and glanced over at my friend. He was breathing heavily, his mocha skin drenched in sweat.

I was about to put my hand on his shoulder and congratulate him, but there was a whistling sound over our heads.

Looking up I saw a light coming toward us.

"Go, GO!" I hollered as we made our way farther into the forest for cover.

Huddling against a tree we covered our head, waiting for the inevitable. Like every promising bomb there was a massive flash of light and the sky errupted above us, as though it were daylight once more. And then there was the ear-drumb breaking explosion. And silence. I cramped my eyes shut and it seemed like an eternity before I opened them once more.

Limbs and other body parts were laying across the shrubs and foliage of the forest. Their mouths were open in wide, painful _O_'s. I could not hear them, and a part of me was thankful for that.

My ear drums were ringing loudly.

It was Hoban who shook me roughly out of my trance. He was speaking to me but I could only pick out parts of his speech. It was as though he were whispering. My eyes turned to his side and I could see my other companion, Maverik standing beside him.

He slapped me hard across the face.

And then my world turned back to normal, the ring fading to a satisfying buzzing.

"What the hell was that for!" I yelled over the din my own ears had created.

"Radio in Kai, and tell her to get us the hell out of here!" Hoban was answering for Mav.

I could feel myself hesitating. I was the only one out of the three of us with a proper radio that would be able to dispatch _Serenity_ at our beck and call. We were in a situation unlike any of our other counterparts. I glanced around at the gorey scene that surrounded us.

"No! We can't just give up!" I protested.

"There's nothing more we can do," Mav's voice rationalized.

"We're just gonna let the Alliance win!?" I was still in shock over the small uprising that was taking place between the three of us.

Ignoring me, Mav reached for my belt and dispite my efforts to keep him away, pulled the radio off of it easily.

Pressing the contraption to his lips he said, "Kai? This is Mav calling, would you mind bringing our girl 'round to pick us up?"

"Gladly," responded the muzzy voice from the other end of the line, "where might you gentlemen be?"

Mav gave Kai our co-ordinates and clicked the radio off. "We'd better get a move on, she can't very well land in a pile 'o trees," Mav explained, getting ready to hike through the wilderness until we reached _Serenity_'s cargo bay.

Hoban was right along side Mav and I was so tired from fighting and the like that it would have been all too easy for me to tag along with them. But then, I caught sight of a green leaf splattered in blood. And suddenly I felt guilty.

Then I heard a loud groan come from a thick oak tree. Peering around the trunk I noticed a leg lying badly broken and misshapen, attatched to it's woebegone owner. I'd noticed the prickly, proud chin anywhere.

"Captain Doyle?" I asked, so I could catch a full view of his body.

It was still incredibly dark outside. I had not noticed how seriosu his injuries were until I had a full view of his mangaled body.

"Reynolds?" he asked. I could hear a sense of releif in his roughened voice.

"Yeah Captain?" I asked getting ready to hoist him up over my shoulder.

"Nuttin'..." he trailed off.

I lifted one of my superior's heavy shoulders over my back and then I was able to carry his whole body weight, slung along my own shoulder blades. I began to make my way toward Hoban and Mav, who were looking down at me, their eyes wide.

"How's he doing?" asked Hoban. I could see that his chest was rising and falling in heavy, uneven pants.

I shook my head, "I can't be completely sure until we have him under a good light and cleaned up. From what I can tell though, he should need a few stitches."

"We'll have Mecca take a look at him," Mav said once more.

Mecca. It was good having the daughter of a doctor on Serenity. I could patch myself up if I wanted to; but for more serious situtaions like the one I was in right now it was nice having someone who really knew what they were doing around.

A few more bullets sounded from down the hill we were climbing. There were a few flashes of an eerie light an dscreams that were carried over the calm night wind. I once more sucked in a deep breath.

_Son, you can't win 'em all_.

My father's voice echoed in the far reaches of my mind. There was a part of me that wanted to turn back and fivght the last of the Alliance.

But the other, bigger half of me was done fighting for this little while and wanted a nice, warm bed to sleep in, food in my belly and a good friend to clean me up and look after me.

Looking away from the massacre that lay beneath the four of us, we made our way up the hill and nearer to safety.


	3. Doctored

(**Malcom Reynolds Jr**.)

_Son, you can't win them all._

I woke in a cold sweat, my body was felt as though it was convulsing. I felt my stomach heave and it was quick to empty its contents in a bucket beside the bed I was in. I was taking in shallow breaths. My eyelids felt heavy and all I wanted to do was close them for a good long time.

"Good, you're awake," the cynical voice said from across the room.

The room was dark, the air was dry. I could feel the tightness of bandages around my arm. Sitting up slowly I could see that I was in my room. It was slightly smaller than I had remembered it. My sheets were wrapped around my body, which lacked clothing. I immediately felt cold. I sucked in another shaky breath. There was a shadow in the corner of my room that was moving closely toward me.

"What happened?" I asked.

I knew it was Mecca before she presented herself under the dank, yellow light. Her hair was in a low, limp braid that hardly took care of the plethera of her red-gold curls. She had one hand on her hip and an eyebrow was cocked questioningly at me.

"You're just coming out of shock. Kai picked you guys up about five hours ago. Shouldn't _I_ be the one asking you what happened?" she asked, grabbing a stethescope from a nearby desk.

"Nothing exciting, really. Picked up the captain-"

"I know, I treated him," she interrupted. I could tell that she was frustrated with me.

"No need to be sarcastic," I shot back.

"Yeah, well there's more important things I could be doing than making sure you don't die of shock," she retorted, pressing the cool metal to my chest.

"Breathe in," she instructed. Our little disagreement would have to be postponed.

She moved the stethescope to my back and asked me to breathe in once more. Taking the device out of her ears she scribbled something down on a piece of chart paper.

"Your vitals are normal, but I'm still worried about that arm," she bit her lip and glanced over at the bandage.

"Why? What's the matter with it?" I could feel my pulse quicken at the idea of me not being able to command _Serenity_.

"You and your questions. God, you must be your father's son," she murmured while changing the bandage.

"Yeah, and I wish you were your mother's daughter," I teased, wincing a little as the fabric was pulled back from the tender flesh.

Like Hoban's parents, Mecca's mother and father had also met on _Serenity_. Her mother had been the ship's mechanic and her father, a doctor. She was smart and quick as a child and was accepted into medical school, but had tired of protocol and then I sweet-talked her into joining the team. When she wasn't in the infirmery, she was working in the ship's engine room doing repairs and such.

Mecca was unlike her parents in the way that she hadn't been born with Kay-lee's exuberant energy nor Simon's quiet, genteel nature. The only clue linking her to Simon were her large blue eyes and she shared her mother's feminine, slender build (which I could also tell she felt cheated by).

"How bad is it?" I asked, not looking at the wound.

I could hear her sigh, "Well, it took about twenty stitches to patch up. There was a lot of dirt in it. I managed to clean you up some while you were passed out cold but, I'm not sure if I'll be able to prevent an infection if one takes root."

I let out a low whistle.

"Ow!" I jumped as Mecca pricked me with a needle.

"Oh god Mal, it's not that bad," she muttered.

"A little warning would be appreciated, woman!" I said raising my voice.

She didn't respond, instead she just snickered at me. "Funny how you still try to run everything even when you're confined to your bed," she said, half-smiling at me.

"What do you mean confined to my bed?"

"I mean, you're on bed rest for the next few days Mal."

"What!? No!" I argued.

"I'm serious, you want to get better, you stay in bed." She had now gotten up, having finished bandaging my arm.

I gaped at her, "Do you expect me to run the ship from my bed room?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "We're out of the line of fire now and have at least four good days of space sailing before we hit land again and get a good call. Your body needs rest Mal."

I ground my teeth together, knowing that there was nothing I could say to change her mind. By the way the people were on the ship too, I knew that her word would be law. Mecca would be my only visitor for the next few days.

At least I had a chance to catch up on my reading.

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr**.)

I spotted Mecca climbing out of Reynolds' bedroom. I could see her brow furrowed a little. It was a sure sign of stress.

"Lover's spat?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes and flipped me off. "Screw off lil' Wash, I'm not in the mood for you after talking to Captain Entitled."

I laughed. Mecca and Mal's relationship was based mostly on avoiding the mutual attraction through useless bickering. They hadn't admitted it yet, though I knew Mal could only admire her for so long and Mecca could only dish out so many scolds before they ended up together.

We walked together to the cockpit, where Kai was sitting in the pilot's chair, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. She had tied her long black hair into a pony tail and she was staring intently into the main computer.

"So, where to next Kai?" I asked, coming to stand beside her.

She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples.

"We could always go back home," Mecca suggested. She was sitting in an empty chair that was usually reserved for the Captain.

"Looks like the Country Doc's on a power trip," Kai joked, avoiding my question.

Mecca smiled, "Just keep dreaming Kai. If you get lucky you may end up here in about... fifty years."

I didn't smile. Instead I tapped on the metal of the control board. I had known that Serenity was having trouble pulling through on the economic end of things. We had pulled a few jobs here and there, but most of the people who paid to have goods smuggled or delivered were backing off because Alliance security was becoming tighter in the 'verse.

We had been scraping by for the past few months and I had hoped to find maybe some more prospects, but so far pickings were slim.

"Do you know a planet that has a lot of people that are willing to pay for passage?" I asked.

Mecca allowed herself yet another frustrated sigh, "I thought we'd agree we'd be smuggling only this season."

"Speaking of passengers, I hear that we have one right now, in the infirmory," Maverick's hard voice spoke up as he walked into the room.

"Welcome to the conversation," Mecca snapped.

"No need to get sour just stating the facts ia all," he responded.

"Well, one of the facts we seriosuly need to concentrate on is the one in which we're almost broke," I quipped.

"Oh, that lovely piece of information," Mav stated flippantly.

It was a tense topic amongst the crew.

"We have to speak about it sooner or later," Kai mentioned.

"Thank you, looks like someone came to work today," I clapped my hands in a mocking tone.

"Can we do this when Mal comes back?" asked Mecca. "I don't think its right making decisions without him, I mean like, he _is_ the Captain."

"Yeah and where is the Captain anyways?" said Maverik.

"Captain's on bed rest under furthur notice," Mecca told him.

"Alright, but for the time being someone should at least talk to Mal about picking up passengers?" I suggested.

All eyes landed on Mecca. "Why is it always me that has to speak with him about _Serenity_?"

"I don't know, do you two like each other or something?" asked Mav.

Mecca's blush looked more like and agnry red than an innocent flush. She hated it when people accused her and Mal of being sweet on each other. "Okay, first of all Mal and I are _friends_ and secondly, pretty boy Reynolds' never listens to anything I say anyways so what makes you think he'll budge on this issue?"

At that moment Mal decided to barge into the room. His eyes were wide and looked like they had seen something terrible.

Mecca leapt up from her seat. "Before I thank you for proving my point, what the hell are you doing walking when you're on bedrest!?" she yelled.

"Captain Doyle's flatlining," was all he had a chance to say.


	4. Death

(**Mecca Tam**)

His pulse was slow and dropping quickly, but hell, at least he had a pulse.

I could hear Mal's urgent, yelling voice. Hoban tried to calm him down, telling him that there was no use in yelling at me. There really wasn't. I hadn't been the one to cause him to go into cardiac arrest, nor the one one who had slowly withered his body to the point of exhaustion. The truth was that the man was just done. His body was telling him not to fight back.

Those are the hardest types of cases to save.

Using the defibulators I clenched my teeth and muttered, "Clear." A shock ripped through his body, causing his back muscles to clench and his chest to lurch into the air.

All of our eyes moved to the monitor.

There was still a flat line.

"Clear," I murmured. I could feel the air around me freshen as everyone in the room (which was everyone housed on the ship) took a step back as I pressed the paddles to the man's pale skin.

Once again our eyes moved to the monitor.

A flat, green line ran across the screen.

That's when I knew that I couldn't save him. "Time of death," I beagn, taking in a deep, shaky breath, "9:49 p.m. Tuesday, June 20th."

I could hear Mal's fist connect with the wall as he strode out of the room. Mav and Hoban went after him. Kai put a hand on my shoulder and then she pulled me into a half-hug.

"Ai fatto tutto che potevi fare, bella," she whispered in my ear, her soothing voice slipping easily into Italian. _You did everything you could, beautiful_.

I impatiently wiped away a tear that was forming on the edge of my eye. I didn't have time for useless emotions right now. There was work to be done.

"We have to get him out of here," I told her.

"I know," she responded.

*

(**Marvin [Maverick] Sinclair**)

I watched Mal pacing up and down the hallway that led each of us to his or her respective bed rooms. He looked damned angry and I knew that there wasn't going to be much reasoning with him. I was wondering what was going to be happening with the brown coats, now that they had lost one of their most influential captains.

"What the hell are we gonna do now? With Doyle kicked we're in serious shit," Mal slammed his fist into the metal of the ship once more.

"We'll have to go to HQ, let them know Doyle won't be serving anymore." It was Hoban who rationalized and had spoken.

Mal spun round and looked at him. A thin layer of sweat formed on his brow. He wiped forehead and leaned against the railing. "They won't be happy, Hoban. We could be pointing a loaded gun at ourselves."

"Yeah, but they still have a right to know about what happened to their Captain, Mal," I interjected. "The Coats'll have to appoint another leader."

Mal was considering this, "Yeah, do we know if they're planning to meet soon?"

"No," said Hoban truthfully, "but I could always get Kai to send out a message to some of the Coats close by. They'll let us know all the details. Until then, I guess we can sit tight and wait it out. Maybe we can even pull a few jobs."

I jammed my hands in my pockets and watched as Mal and Hoban stared at each other. I wondered for a moment if anything was going to be said about Hoban's suggestion. I knew that Mal could get a little sore about people 'running his ship'. But, it had been a long night and I could feel everything hit me suddenly.

Our bodies and minds were worn out.

"We'll talk in the morning," Mal said finally.

The air around the three of us suddenly lifted. Without saying good night we all climbed down the ladders into our bunks, glad to be rid of one another.

*

(**Mecca Tam**)

Once the body was properly stored and awaiting burial, Kai and I were ready to hit the sac. We had been working nonstop for about an hour and a half and I was ready to collapse.

"Is that everything?" asked Kai. I could see hr shoulders hunched and her skin plaed in exhaustion.

"Yeah, I think that's everything," I told her as we made our way out of the cargo bay.

It was then that she nodded to a pile of clothes. "What about those?" she asked me.

I sighed heaviloy, "Don't worry, I'll take care of those."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just get some rest, I see that you could use some."

I could see her body relax. "Thanks bella," she told me and began walking up the stairs toawrd the bunks.

I walked to the carefully folded clothes beside the Captain's temporary coffin. I hesitated a moment before grabbing them. There was something oddly intimate about one's clothes. A dead body did not get to me as much. A body was organic material, bound to break down sometime. But, a person's clothes... they were a different story. His life was lived between the folds of fabric.

I choked back my reasoning and clutched them between my fingers.

I decided to speak to Mal about the Captain. Maybe I'd even be able be able to get in a few words about_ Serenity _ander current situation.

*

(**Malcom Reynolds Jr.**)

My body was aching and I wished that I could just fall asleeps and imagine that everything that had happened was some kid of a terrible dream. I sucked in a deep breath and forced my eyes to close. I almost didn't hear the hatch to my bunk open.

I opened one eye and saw Mecca entering my room.

"Not now Mec," I groaned.

"I'm supposed to be here to talk to you about our best girl," she told me, tapping lightly on the slightly rusted metal.

"Way to be subtle," I retorted.

She let out a low whistle. "God, you're disagreeable when you don't have your beauty sleep. Too bad I'm not leaving, I guess you'll just have to deal with me."

"Now I know I won't get any sleep," I told her, sitting up and wincing slightly.

"Still sore, eh?" she said.

It was impossible for me to hide my ailments from her. Mecca always knew what was wrong with me. From headaches to upset stomachs, Mecca had this pshychic ability when it came to things about the human body.

"Just slightly," I answered.

She sat on the edge of my bed. I could feel the sudden shift in weight and it felt oddly comforting. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on her arms. " I'm sorry I couldn't save him Mal," she said.

I was wondering when she'd get to that.

"No, you did everything you could. I was out of line there, I should be the one apologizing," I told her honestly.

I tucked a stray red-gold curl behind her ear. She smiled at me. I could see that dark circles had formed under her eyes. I suddenly felt worried for her. She needed rest, and badly too.

"You should get out of here," I told her gently.

To my surprise she flopped on the bed beside me. "You don't mind, do you? I mean I hate working with the dead and then having to sleep alone afterwards. It... it scares me I guess. I don't know does that make it bad?"

"Naw," I reassured, lying back down so I was facing her.

Mecca's eyes were already closed.

"You know, people are worried about money," she said groggily.

"People are always worried about money," I said bitterly.

"Yeah, but I mean, they're not worried in that bad way. They're worried because they love the ship. They just want to make sure that everything's gonna be okay for _Serenity_," she told me, half out of consciousness.

I lay there for a moment, watching Mecca's eyes flutter. "You know Mec, you should probably get outta here. People might start getting ideas..."

But, she had already fallen asleep. I watched the top of the ceiling and listened to Mecca's soft breathing.

There was always tomorrow to figure everything out. But now, I'd finally get a chance to sleep.


	5. Matters

**Disclaimer: **Characters are products of Joss Whedon's imagination, only some are my originals.

**Author's Note:** Hope you are enjoying, and please feel free to review.

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr**.)

When you go off planet, it takes time to adjust to living in space. When I took my first off planet trip with my mother, I remember the weird feeling of heaviness the most (gravity simulators are always one decimal heavier than a planet's actual gravitational pull). It usually makes people who take their maiden voyages vomit and have serious issues with their equilibrium.

But me, I had no issues.

My mother was amazed at this. She told me that I must of been my father's child, that I was meant to have a life in space. That I was destined for more than what I was given. I think part of why I joined Mal wasn't only because he was offering me a chance to leave my mundane life behind.

It's true that my life had been anything but regular since I went off-planet. In fact, it had been quite exciting. But, for every minute of adventure and action there had to at least be forty of complete and total boredom.

Watching the stars from the control room I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get ourselves out of the stitch we'd gotten ourselves into. It was not exactly the best thing to be carrying a dead body on board. It raised suspicion. And from my expirience, the Alliance loved suspicion. I rubbed my eyes and checked the clock. It was five-thirty in the morning.

The crew would probably be taking the liberty of sleeping in. I wondered why I wasn't.

The sound of feet woke me out of my trance.

Kai was there, leaning against the frame, her dark hair still mussed from sleep. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked me.

"I could ask the same thing about you too, babe." I got up and walked over to her so I could take her in my arms.

She made the attempt to hug me back, but I could tell that she was still groggy from sleep. I kissed the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of jasmine and a twinge of spaghetti sauce. I loved that smell.

"You want something to eat?" she asked, yawning.

"Yeah, I could go for something," I answered truthfully. I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

I followed her into the kitchen and general dining area and had a seat. I watched her take an old kettle out of one of the cupboards and place it on the stove. Then she collected numerous ingredients together and began whipping up some sort of batter. I got up from my comfortable seat, feeling guilty for not helping her. "What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Well for starters, you can stir this for me while I try to find us some juice, or milk, or something that's half- decent to drink around here," she told me, standing on her tip-toes to navigate the higher shelves.

I stirred the honey-colored batter listlessly. "Where did you decide to put the body?" I questioned.

"He's down in the cargo bay." She gave me short, curt answers whenever she was worried about something. Considering the situation I decided not to pry. Everything would have to wait.

**(Malcom 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.)**

I woke up to find myself alone. Sitting up, I wondered for a moment if my talk with Mecca had been only a dream. I chewed on my bottom lip and glanced around the cabin. I sighed heavily.

Clearly, my ship wasn't in the best shape it could have been. Hoban and the rest of the crew had a right to be worried. In fact, I was beginning to get a little jumpy myself on this issue. Though, I did make it clear that I only wanted to be smuggling this season.

Sitting up and taking in a nice, long breath I could feel my lungs ache annoyingly. I would have to remember to take it easy for a while.

Standing up, I pulled on a comfortable pair of trousers and a simple, black shirt. I ran my hand through my hair a few times just for good measure, but before I left I noticed the captain's clothes in a pile before my bed.

Slowly, I grabbed the captain's shirt and clutched it between my fingers. I ran my thumb over the thick, scratchy material and sighed._ Sorry I couldn't save you Sir._

I tossed the shirt onto the pile of fabric. Then, I heard something fall and roll to a stop. Turning around I saw that a tiny, glass capsule lay on the ground, close to my feet. I bent down and picked it up carefully, holding it between my thumb and forefinger.

A silvery sphere of liquid floated in the middle of the conatiner.

Humming to myself I placed the thing in my pocket and ascended the steps to the hallway of the ship. I could feel my belly rumble with growing impatience. I'd deal with the matter after I'd put some food in my stomach.


	6. Machinery

**Disclaimer**: The characters and universe in which this story takes place are not mine.

**Author's Note**: Hope everything is to your liking. I'm open to suggestions.

(**Marvin 'Maverick' Sinclair**)

I hadn't much appetite today. It was strange because usually my stomach doesn't know no ends. They used to call me the garb orator when I was in the reserves. That seemed like a while ago. I had only been working on Serenity for three years now.

Sometimes though, it felt like I'd always been here.

Mal and I met when we were training with the other Coats. Don't know why I decided to join them. Maybe it was 'cause I was so tired of my own family bein' pushed 'round by their bullies in black uniforms. Enough was enough, and anyways it was high time I started caring about political bullshit.

I wasn't no good at math neither. So, I guess I didn't really have a choice.

Smuggling's hard, but hell, its better than nothing. I kind of like it anyways. I mean, I didn't have money growing up and I never really got to go off planet and see what the 'verse was really like. I don't make much money now, but hell at least I get around.

Besides, bad pay is better than no pay at all.

Mal slid into the booth next to me. He looked mighty thoughtful.

"Got much on your mind?" I asked, sipping my coffee without interest.

He shrugged, "You know what this is?"

Mal pulled out a small glass container. He told me to be careful as I picked it up and held it closer to my eyes. There was a small, metallic glob of something or other being held in there.

"I ain't got any idea what this is," I told him truthfully.

He sighed and looked slightly crestfallen. I wasn't any good at science either.

Hoban walked over to us and sat down across from Mal. He eyed the thing suspiciously until Mal rolled it over to him. I guess they still had sore feelings toward each other from last night. I tipped my mug of coffee to my lips and let the warm liquid sit in my mouth. I swallowed loudly.

"That's uranium," Hoban said in a final tone.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uranium," he said again, more slowly so's I could take in the words.

"What's it do?" asked Kai. She'd been eavesdropping and now decided to join the conversation.

"I'm not exactly sure..." Hoban said, holding the capsule up to the light.

"Why'd he have uranium in his shirt. That's stuff's pretty rare from what I remember. You can't just drill on any planet and find uranium..." Mal interjected.

"It's also really dangerous. If its not contained properly its unstable, destructive, toxic... the list goes on," Hoban added.

Mal scratched his cheek and rested his head in his hands. "Do you remember why we were called to fight in that battle. You know, the one where Captain Doyle was wounded."

Kai shook her head, "No. They just said they needed back-up and we obliged."

"You think the fighting went on 'cause of that thing there," I said disbelievingly, pointing my finger at the Uranium.

Mal shook his head, "I don't know Mav. But, from what I do know... the Alliance loves shit like this. But before I get us submerged deeper in this I think that we have to talk to someone that knows a little bit more than we do."

"And who exactly do we mean by that?" asked Kai, resting a hand on her hip.

"It means that we're going to have to take a little detour before we meet up with the rest of the Coats." Mal's word was final, his hazel eyes shining. I had seen that look before. It was the kind that rookie soldiers wore before they went into their first battle.

You see the funny thing about battles is that you have to learn to pick and choose them carefully. Looking at the tiny ball of floating trouble I knew then and there that things were probably going to get ugly.

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

_Serenity's_ engine room was large and smelled like kerosene. I loved that smell. I lived my life in that smell. It was one of those things that haunted me. I shivered at the coolness of the room.

"Mec?" I called.

"I'm here!" she yelled, her voice muffled.

I found her lying under the engine, clanking loudly on some loose piece of metal. I leaned against the rusty wall and watched her feet clench and jerk as she repaired the machinery. A string of lewd curses that would have made even the toughest of smugglers blush rose up from her mouth, curling over the static turbines.

I cracked my back and waited patiently for her to finish.

"Your father should have replaced these godforsaken pieces of shit when he had the chance," she told me honestly as she rolled out from under the engine.

"She don't mean it girl," I joked, tapping the cold metal wall.

Mecca glanced at me and rolled her eyes, but at least she was smiling. I walked over to her and ran my thumb along the machinery. This stuff had to be replaced so many times that it probably wasn't even a part of the actual ship anymore. She was turned into a massive metal jigsaw puzzle.

"So, what do you want?" Mecca asked tartly, throwing rearranging her hair into a higher ponytail.

I pulled out the Uranium from my back pocket and held it up to the light so she could get a glimpse of it. "Do you know what this is?" I asked her. "Hoban thinks that its uranium, but I'm not really sure."

She snorted, "And I actually thought for a second you were going to apologize."

"I apologized last night!"

"Yeah, when I was half-asleep and extremely vulnerable. You coward!" she had raised her voice and spoke vividly with her hands.

"Alright, I'm sorry," I told her, handing her the capsule.

She took the piece of glass delicately into her hands and then abruptly slapped me across my face. The sound echoed off of the ship's walls. _Serenity_ seemed to be chortling lightly at Mecca's sudden and unexpected outburst.

"What the hell was that for!?" I yelled, rubbing my sore cheek.

"That," she explained calmly, "was for being a jackass. And Hoban's right. From what I remember in first year chemistry, this is uranium."

"And what's it do?" I asked, suppressing the urge to make a mean comment.

She blew out a frustrated breath. "Well, from what I can remember, which isn't that much, it was used to make atomic weapons. This stuff isn't the best to be carrying around either. It can cause cancers, its bad for your health. If this stuff gets into your genes it can mutate them..."

I let out a low whistle.

"So bottom line is- not good," I concluded finally.

She nodded her head. "Actually I might take this off your hands and store it in the lab. You know, so someone doesn't accidentally ingest it or something."

"That sounds like a good idea, because you know... we have so many five-year olds running around here," I said sarcastically.

She looked over at me and arched an eyebrow in warning. The corners of my mouth twitched up. "Do you remember that time when we were kids Hoban and I set up that clubhouse in this very room and I told you that there weren't any girls allowed."

She smiled nostalgically. "Oh yeah. Then I punched you right in the face."

"Gave me a black eye for a couple of weeks, too."

"Mom and dad were so mad at me..." she scratched her arm, recalling how she wasn't permitted to go anywhere near that ship until my eye was healed and apologized properly.

"Yeah, but my old man said that I deserved it. He was on your side for that," I reassured her.

"Well good, because you did deserve you misogynist brat."

We stood in silence for a few moments. I could see us two as kids again fooling around in _Serenity_'s nooks and cranny's. I could hear the echoes of our laughter bouncing back and forth along the walls. Mecca's serious face, Hoban's stupid grin, my loud, obnoxious voice.

I wondered how everything happened so fast. Growing up in the middle of a war doesn't really give you much time to be a kid. Hoban and I lied about our age to join the reserves (we were only sixteen at the time, you had to be at least eighteen) and before we knew it we had already matured into men.

"We're making a short stop in about six hours or so," I told her.

"Oh? Where to?" she asked quietly.

"Sihnon," I answered.

The corners of her mouth turned down thoughtfully. "Going to find ourselves a scientist are we?"

"That's the idea."

"Are you all finished down here?" I inquired, looking at the tool box that was covered in a nice, thick layer of grease.

"Almost, then maybe I'll come up," she shrugged her shoulders. "I have plenty of time."

"Good, then I guess I'll see you soon." I turned to leave but before I left the doorway I spun round and added, "Oh, Mec?"

"Yeah Mal?"

"You slap worse than a Companion."

I narrowly dodged a hammer as it was thrown at my head. Laughing I bolted out of the machine room, away from the yells coming from Mecca's mouth and replacing the steady hum of the engine with her furious, musical voice.


	7. Chemistry

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns it, I only wish.

*

(**Mecca Tam**)

There are no words to describe what it feels like to lose someone. I've always wondered why we don't have science that can prove to us that people live beyond death, that the soul is immortal. I always dreamed about souls being tangible, squirming things that we could hold with our bare hands and feel beneath the skin of our palms.

It was the captain that got me started on the subject. As I stared down at the coffin that held his lifeless body I wondered fleetingly if his soul had indeed flown up to heaven.

Or maybe it was down here... roaming the halls...

"Ready to go?" Kai asked, snapping me out of my day dream.

"Yeah," I said, adjusting my shirt.

I had hardly enough time to make myself look presentable. I'd gotten distracted cleaning the generators and before I knew it we we entering orbit. I decided to wear a skirt today (mirroring Kai) because from what I remembered Shinon it was a bit of a swanky planet.

Anyhow I managed to tame my hair a bit and make myself look more presentable. I smoothed my shirt and walked down the ramp into the bustling city.

Mal let out a low whistle from behind me. "Not many sights like this in the 'verse," he said quietly.

He was right. We had parked _Serenity_ in the city's centre. Hover-planes and other aircraft surrounded the ship, dodging heavy traffic and the enormous, jutting silver structures stretched toward the blue sky. I had to shield my eyes against the light reflected off of the masses of buildings.

I felt small, real small.

"Well damn, if we don't find a scientist here I don't know where else we'd look," Mav mentioned, slurping back and spitting hard on the ground.

"Mav," I scolded, turning around to face him, "manners, please. We're not in Santo anymore."

Mav raised an eyebrow at me. "Sorry your highness," he winked sarcastically.

Kai laughed, sensing my nervousness and slung her arm around my shoulders. The scent of soap rose from her dark skin and set in my nostrils, calming me and permitting my shoulder to drop. "Be easy _mei-mei_, we'll be off of this planet soon enough," she whispered in my ear.

I hoped we'd get off of here soon. I felt out of place here, a farm girl in the midst of aristocrats. I ran my fingers over a place where I had to stitch a tear in my skirt.

Yes, definitely out of place.

"Alright, Mav, Hoban and I will go after a few scientists and you and Kai can go off and take some time to yourselves," Mal informed us, getting ready to head in the opposite direction.

Kai rolled her eyes, "So originally male. Just leave the girls to themselves while the three of you go off and do man's work."

Hoban smirked good-naturedly and kissed Kai on the forehead. "Just go and have some fun. We shouldn't be too long, I promise."

Kai unfolded her arms and sighed heavily. "Alright. We'll meet back here in about eight hours. I'm sure Mec and I can find something to do on this godforsaken planet," she teased.

Mal half-smiled, "See you girls."

With that the three men began walking away and Kai dragged me off in the opposite direction. Eight hours would seem like a lifetime.

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr.**)

After some discussion in rusty mandarin in a dark bar that smelled of cheap booze and vomit we managed to get the name of a chemist who would talk to a threesome of suspected brown coats. Mal had dragged us all over the city in search of a qualified professional who wouldn't be turned off by our political views (not that we were flaunting them, but the way we dressed and talked would have set anyone off). I was tired, I was pissed off and the last thing I wanted to do was walk a few more blocks.

Somehow he talked me into it.

Mav has no problem following orders. He submitted quietly and most of the time without complaint. He was a good crew member like that- he always knew when to take orders. He seemed hardly phased by the sheer amount of walking that we had to do.

I on the other hand, was quite ready to kill someone.

"This has to be it," Mal said hopefully his eyes darting from the sheet of paper with indiscernible Chinese lettering on it to the structure in front of us.

"If it isn't, you won't make it to the next office building," I muttered under my breath.

Thankfully, only Mav was the one who heard me. He snickered lightly. Mal turned around and we both stopped our laughing.

"What are you two ladies giggling about?" he inquired.

"Don't worry about it," I assured him.

Mal turned back to the building and walked in. Mav and I followed suit behind him.

The building itself did not look conspicuous, but it didn't look like it was run by the Alliance either. I was a little relieved at this. The last thing I wanted was to have a confrontation with some purple-bellies today.

Keeping the wrinkled piece of paper clenched protectively in his hand he lead up up a flight of a few stairs. Then we turned down a a quiet, soberly painted hallway. The whole air of the place was clinical and meticulous. It was exactly where a scientist would want to park his research.

Finally Mal came to a stop in front of a green door.

"Well, according to the bartender, this is it," he said confidently.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Mav.

"Nothing..." he hesitated. "I just want to make sure that before we do this, that we know what we're getting ourselves into. Captain died protecting this... nothing like this don't come without a few secrets attached to it."

I nodded my head.

"Remember who and what we're fightin' for," Mav interjected.

Mal and I did need to say any words. Ever since we were children we knew what the wars we about. We knew what we were rebelling against. We knew what people had died for, what they had spilled their blood over.

Carefully, Mal rapped on the door.

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

I held my breath as I waited for someone to open the door. I waited a few seconds. Then the hinges creaked, opening the heavy wooden barrier.

Standing behind it was an older man, about my height, his eyes wrinkled heavily.

"Hello?" he said in a hurried mandarin.

"Hello, my name is Malcolm Reynolds, I was wondering if I could have a few words with you?" I asked as politely as I could in a slowed and shaky language.

It had been a while since I spoke Chinese.

The man looked us over for a moment and then invited us in. "It's not every day I see young and uninjured brown coats at my door," he explained in excellent English.

The room was white and like the hallways, very clean and clinical looking. It was clear that the man did not only work here, but also did most of his research. The room that we walked into was a kitchen but from what I could see in the room next to us there was a small lab complete with bun son burners and jars of questionable materials.

"Well, not completely uninjured," I remarked, feeling my ribs ache slightly.

"What brings you here?" he asked, gesturing for us to sit down at the kitchen table.

"Doc, we were wondering if you could tell us what this is," I said, pulling out the small capsule of uranium.

The scientist was silent for a moment and picked the glass tube between his fingers. He sighed and bit his lip. "Now, I haven't seen this stuff for a long time. A long time boys."

"We heard it's pretty rare," added Hoban.

The man nodded. "I heard that the Alliance is really beginning to sniff this stuff out. I heard that they even invaded certain colonies for it. It's better than gold to them."

My heart must have stopped. Hoban glanced at me, trying to contain his shock. The planet we just fought on... could it be?

"But, unfortunately I cannot really provide you with any more information than this."

"Do you know anyone who might?" I asked, almost jumping out of my seat.

"Yes, he owns a summer home in Bellerophon. In fact, he' hosting a party next week. However, he's not that friendly toward members of the Independents."

"That's no problem with us... thanks for your time, Doc," Hoban said, getting up from his seat to shake his hand.

As all three of us hurried to exit the apartment Hoban's eyes met mine once more. At that moment I knew that we had involved ourselves in something deeper and more complicated than I could have ever thought possible.

But one things was for sure... we were going to Bellerophon.


	8. Asphyxiation

Disclaimer: I own nothing

*

(**Kaileena Serafino**)

I wanted desperately for Mecca to buy that dress, but I knew she wouldn't. She was embarrassed enough of trying it on. She blushed heavily when I had to help her put it on and even more when I made her stand in front of a mirror and look at herself.

The dress had a wide, but modest neckline, the sleeves fell off the shoulders. The bodice was cinched in tight with that corset style that was all the rage now and pleated with gold design. The skirt fell freely around her legs, sweeping onto the ground.

"You're a vision, _mei-mei_," I told her.

"I'm not buying a dress that I can't breathe in," she shot back, trying desperately to undo the laces at the back. "Oh, for God's sake, can you get this thing off of me before I asphyxiate?"

I chuckled as I unlaced the back, "It's a good thing that Mal doesn't see you in this anyways. This dress might just make him profess his love to you."

"Oh, shut up. Mal and I are just friends, we have been since we were kids."

I decided not to reply. I didn't want to agitate my friend any further. I carefully undid the laces at the back until she was free enough to slip out of it. As the material fell to the ground she hastily dressed herself.

"What about you, _bella_?" she asked me. "Have you found anything you'd like to buy?"

I'd found about a hundred things that I'd like to buy. But, money for me doesn't grow on trees. "No, not really. Everything here's too expensive anyways. C'mon, let's get out of here."

We spilled out onto an unusually clean sidewalk. It was clear that the people of Shinon took much pride in the appearance of themselves and the city. We did not see many homeless or under dressed individuals on the street.

People here decorated the streets in wonderfully colored kimonos. They walked with their chins up, with their feet walking firmly in front of them. I sighed dreamily.

"What are you thinking about know?" asked Mecca dutifully.

"Do you ever wonder if we'll stop working on _Serenity_ one day? I mean, we can't live our whole lives like that... smuggling and picking up passengers here and there. I wonder when it will all end," I said softly.

She looked over at me. "You have to ruin this wonderful day with your morbid ideas, don't you?"

Thankfully, I was able to catch the sarcastic undertone in her comment. She made me smile.

"I should have known better than to ask your opinion," I shot back.

She shrugged her shoulders and glanced around the streets. "Look at themKai," she said. "They're living their lives in the Alliance's shadow. They have so much to be afraid of."

"You know that we're not out of that shadow either _mei-mei_," I corrected.

"Yeah, and I doubt anyone really lives out of that kind of darkness. And we do have to be afraid of it too sometimes. But our fear is the better kind. You know why? Because with that fear we also carry around some kind of hope that one day it won't be there anymore."

Mecca hardly ever talked like that. I glanced over at her, my eyebrows were raised. "You know that people don't say stuff like that anymore."

"I know," she whispered. Then nodding over to a mandarin restaurant she added, "It was a saying in one of my fortune cookies."

For the first time that day, we laughed.

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

We met the girls on a street that housed a massive Alliance building. I could barely contain my disgust at the edifice. Hoban jabbed me hard in the ribs, trying o remind me where we were and how we were supposed to act. I had to setting for grinding my teeth instead.

"So, did you find anything out important?" asked Mecca, folding her arms.

"Oh, did we ever," Mav answered for Hoban and I.

"Let's get the hell out of here," I suggested, "this place reeks of the Alliance."

We had to walk a few blocks before we came to the complex on which we parked _Serenity_. I had to admit that I was quite relieved to see her there. I sighed happily and slung my arm around Mecca and Mav's shoulder blades.

"There's our best girl," I said happily.

"You really need a shower," Mecca snorted, her nose wrinkling.

"I agree," Mav said ducking away from my grasp.

"What's the matter? You don't like the smell of my manliness?" I joked, pulling Mecca into another bear hug and holding her there.

She desperately tried to pull away but I hugged her into my chest tighter. "You're suffocating me!" she yelled indignantly hitting me hard in the ribs.

"Sorry, what was that? Is it the smell that's suffocating you? Or the strength of my arms?" I teased.

"Both!" she yelped

After I decided that she had suffered enough, I allowed her out of arms. She breathed in hard and gulped at the fresh air. For good measure she whacked me upside the head. I was laughing too hard to care though. A good laugh once and a while never hurt anyone.

"If he keeps that up, it won't be a dress that will kill me," she muttered to Kai.

"Oh," I spun around, "that reminds me. Do you think you can find a dress, and fast? I need you to be a part of my cover when we get to Bellerophon."

She folded her arms and her mouth turned down, "A dress? What is this, a date or something?"

"No, well if you count going under cover to pump information out of a recognized Alliance chemist, a date then yeah."

"I don't count _that_ particular scenario as a date," she answered.

"Good, for a second there I thought things were going to get awkward."

"Awkwardness, between the two of you? Who would have ever thought _that_ possible?" Kai's musical voice chimed in sarcastically.

"Shut up," Mec and I voiced in unison.

"Sorry Mal, I don't own a dress," Mecca informed me as we walked into the cargo bay. She kicked away a few old storage bins that lay in her path.

"What do you mean you don't own a dress?"

"I mean that there's not one in my closet," she answered matter-of-factly.

"Are you serious? You _are_ a girl aren't you? Don't girls, I don't know, like own dresses and all of that crap?" I stated and was offered a deadly, ice-blue stare in response.

"Borrow one of Kai's," I suggested.

"I'd be swimming in Kai's clothes. We don't have the same body type at all," she explained as though I were an idiot. "On second thought," she added, "why don't you just take Kai? She's more cultured anyways."

"Take Kai, have you lost your mind? Hoban would kill me. Actually kill me."

"Take Maverick then,"she said, but I could plainly see her smirking.

My face twisted at her idea, "Please, I'd like to be spared from your twisted fantasies. Look, Kai sews, doesn't she? It'll be about a day of space sailing until we hit Bellerophon. Can't she make you a dress?"

Mecca whistled, "A day to make a dress. That's a pretty daunting task."

"If I know anything about the two of you, daunting tasks are pieces of cake," I smiled at her pleadingly.

"And now look at you, full of blarney. You think you can talk me into anything, don't you?" she ran a hand through her long, golden curls.

"It got you on the_ Serenity_, didn't it?"

She bit her lip, "I'll think about it Mal."

"I'll take it as a yes."

Her brow furrowed in an angry expression, "Get out of my sight!"

"Green will look good on you!" I called behind me as I left the cargo bay to oversee the cockpit.


	9. Stitch

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters and places belong to Joss Whedon.

(**Marvin 'Maverick' Sinclair**)

It isn't in Mal's best interest to keep Hoban and I in the dark on shindigs that are 'bout ready to go down. But, that's exactly what he did. It ain't in the Cap's best interest to ruffle no feathers either. But he weren't doin' a good job of that neither.

Finally he sat us down and spread out a sheet of paper.

"Mom had some old plans of cottages in Bellerophon," he said, spreading the sheet out so it lay flat against the kitchen table.

I leaned over it and whistled. "That ain't no cottage," I pointed out, "that there's a god dang mansion."

Hoban smiled, "Works in our favor, Mav. The bigger the better."

"Remember that these plans are a few years old, but when I got a hold of Ma she told me that its fashionable there not to change the overall design of the home. It's, I don't know, rustic or something," Mal explained.

"Well let's hope that true. If not, we don't have a prayer."

"Why not? I thought we were going there just to talk to the guy," I wondered, beginning to get confused. Didn't Mal say something along those lines?

"I did say that, Mav. But after talking to Dad he told me that these Alliance scientists bring their laboratories with them. My guess that if this guy turns out to be what that Shinon cat said he was, then he has something of value to the brown-coats hidden in his house."

"So, what's the plan then?" Hoban asked, looking intently at the blueprints.

Mal ran his finger along the paper, tracing the lines. "Well, if the guy is going to have information about anything, it'll be in his library."

"He's not gonna keep stuff like that public," I offered.

Hoban nodded. "Yeah, we should look around for hidden rooms or anything of that nature."

"Alright," Mal began, rolling his shoulders, "first off, Mec and I are going to be going to the party as a married couple. We'll try to get some info out of the purple-belly. You and Hoban are going to get in from the back veranda."

"You reckon he's got security?" I questioned.

"Definitely," Hoban said, "but I know Mecca's got some cattle tranquilizer in the infirmary. They shouldn't be too hard to take care of."

"You guys get into the cottage and I'll feed you any information and clues the scientist gives me. You two are pulling a quick, easy job. Get in and get out. That's all you have to do."

I sighed, "Piece of pie, right Hob?"

Hoban nodded solemnly, "No worries."

I chewed on the bottom of my lip. My gut twisted and for the first time in years I actually felt nervous. That wasn't good. Getting nervous is never a good thing as a soldier. But there they were...butterflies. I swallowed hard and pushed the feeling down farther, ignoring it.

Part of me still wishes I didn't.

*

(**Mecca Tam**)

Kai's bunk was too small which was why we were in Aunt Inara's old pod. I really didn't know how she managed to share her bunk with Hoban. Two people living in such close proximity made me wonder how she managed to keep her sanity.

Anyways the crew didn't use the pod, mainly because it was still Aunt Inara's. She told us to make use of it anyhow, but for some reason (possibly out of respect for Mal) it remained untouched. Except for today, of course.

"Ouch!" I yelled as Kai poked me with a pin for the millionth time.

"Sorry!" she said and then for good measure, said a few swear words in mandarin. And then in Italian just to get the point across.

"Can you try to be more careful? It's my flesh you're stabbing," I spat.

I had been in a foul mood ever since she dragged me in here to fit me for a dress. Instead of making a dress from scratch we managed to find one of Inara's old dresses. Of course, the stupid thing had to be altered to fit me properly but we would be arriving on planet in less than three hours and the damn thing hadn't even been properly finished.

Instead of green we went with an off-white color that had bits of blue stitched into the lining. It really was a beautiful color. But the design I almost objected to.

Kai insisted that the dress be strapless and tight fitting around the waist so it cinched me in and gave the illusion that my chest was more ample and my hips were more generous. We added a blue sash to make the dress's overall color more dramatic.

I hoped it took away from the shocking amount of skin it showed.

When I brought this to Kai's attention she simply stated, "Did you think you were going to wear a turtle neck? _Dio santisimo_!"

Well, at least I was able to win a few battles.

I persuaded Kai to allow me to keep my hair half down, in a waterfall and minimal amounts of eye makeup. I wondered if Aunt Inara would allow me to keep the dress after all. I hadn't ever owned anything in my life this elaborate.

I threw one of Kai's trench coats over my shoulders while I was waiting in the cargo bay for Mal. It was always cooler down here than the rest of the ship.

The Captain's body was still frozen in the temporary coffin. It was lying across from me. I seated myself on an old trunk and tried not to look at it. Or think of him. Him... flat lining on the table. It was my table, my table.

"Ready to go?" It was Mal's loud voice that knocked me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I said, bringing myself back to reality once more.

"Good," he said as it tried to tie his necktie, "for a second there I thought you were on another planet."

"For a second there, I was," I admitted. I batted his hands away and began tying the black piece of fabric around his neck. "I can't believe you're a grown man and you have trouble tying this," I shot just to grab a reaction.

His brow furrowed, "It's hard you know, without a mirror."

"Ah," I said smiling, "always trying to protect that ego of yours. I get it."

"That's a pretty good dress to make in only a few hours. I did underestimate you two," he said.

In spite of myself, I could feel my cheeks tint. I wrapped the trench tighter around my body. "Don't compliment us just yet. This was actually one of your Mom's old dresses. Kai and I were able to alter it a little."

He nodded his head in approval, "Good use of resources then."

I really hated it when Mal tried to compliment me. I wish that he would have inherited just a little bit more tact- at least from his father. He was a far cry from his mother's wittiness. Instead, he was all sarcasm.

I mustered a smile, "Thanks Mal."

"Anytime Mec."

I could feel Kai beginning to shift us into orbit. It was almost time.

"You remember the plan, right?" For a moment Mal's eyes flickered with worry. This whole operation was very important to him. He wanted everything to run smoothly. He wanted no detail to be looked over... everything just _had_ to be perfect.

"Yes sir," I mocked an army salute.

"Good," was all he said, his mouth not even whispering with humor.

Serenity rocked back and forth slightly. I finally felt it touch onto solid ground. Well, no turning back now.

"Showtime," I heard Mal mutter.

The hatch to the cargo bay opened with an audible hiss.


	10. Cover

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*

(**Mal 'Malcolm' Reynolds Jr.**)

Nights are cold on Bellerophon. I was surprised at the cool air that engulfed Mec and I as we walked onto solid ground. I had heard stories that told me that Bellerophon was a beautiful place and even though it was night I could see why so many people came here.

The estate was suspended over a vast sea of calm water. The sound of sloshing waves was soothing beneath us.

I could see Mecca hesitating as we walked toward the cottage. "Nervous?" I asked.

"No," she spat, raising and eyebrow. "If anyone here's nervous, it should be you. This plan, need I remind you, is all your idea. If some thing happens I'll be blaming you," she articulated.

"Glad to know you're on my side," I muttered.

Resting back on my heels I took a moment to review the estate. The word cottage did not do the dwelling justice, as it was one of the most beautiful homes I had ever seen. The general design of it was glass and deep mahogany paneling. It rose up from the ground, reaching for the stars that clustered the brilliant sky.

"Look at this place," Mecca murmured, "I wouldn't mind living here."

"I'll say. Alliance pay must be pretty damn incredible to afford something like this," I commented. "C'mon," I added, nodding at Mecca, "let's show these aristocrats how the brown coats do things."

I offered her my arm, bearing an encouraging smile and we set off up the marble pathway. The sound of conversation and light music was emitting from the inside of the structure. I bit my lip and quickly reminded myself of some different rules of etiquette.

Mom always insisted I take etiquette lessons with her. Those were back when I was a kid. That was back before I joined the military. A funny thing happens to you when you become a soldier- you tend to lose all kinds of manners.

"You're grinding your teeth," Mecca informed me.

"Am I?"

"Yeah, and from the look on your face, I can tell that you're nervous," she added. I looked down at her and chewed on the inside of my cheek. She was trying her best to hold back a terrified look.

I stopped and clasped her shoulders.

"We have nothing to be afraid of," I said firmly.

"Actually," she whispered, "there's a lot to be afraid of."

I couldn't deny that. If we were caught God only knew what the Alliance would do to us. Torture most likely, try to dig information out of us that they couldn't get from fighting the brown coats. It was risky. It was really risky.

And tonight I didn't have just my life to think of.

Mecca stared at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes. "I..." she began, "I just don't want any of u to get hurt."

"I know," I answered.

I also knew that I was putting her right in the line of fire. Mecca was a big girl, she could handle herself, but from what I gathered she didn't know too much about what it meant to be a soldier. Could she defend herself if we were found out?

Then I remembered something Dad used to tell me. Placing my finger under her chin and lifting it slightly I said, "We'll get through."

_We'll get through_.

Sighing heavily she nodded her head, "Alright Mal."

*

(**Marvin 'Maverick' Sinclair**)

I strapped a pistol to my chest and zipped up a black jacket over it. Patting my chest I congratulated myself on how well I concealed it. Some training you receive from the military you never really forget. It was interesting how concealing items under clothing comes in handy in your everyday life.

I took the opportunity to spit out a wad of tobacco out of my mouth and onto the ground.

Kai made a face, "You're gross."

"You're judgmental," I retorted.

"Hey, watch it pal," Hoban said and it shut me up. I didn't want to get in no scrap with Kai with Hoban hanging around. He'd kick the tar out of me... or at least try to anyway.

He's a shrimp compared to me. Not that I'm bragin', I'm just a big guy is all.

"Look," Kai said softly, turning to her boyfriend, "be careful."

Hoban smiled confidently. "Don't worry babe, we'll be back before you can blink," he told her, a smile on his face.

Kai half-smiled and then leaned in and kissed him. He took her in his arms like she was all he had. I don't generally like it when people kiss the hell outta each other in front of me.

"Hey! Let's go! You two can have all the fun you want when we get back," I said, loading a gun and cocking it loudly.

"Yeah, yeah I hear you Mav," Hoban rolled his eyes.

Hoban reluctantly left Kai and she hugged herself, watching us descend onto firm ground. "Be careful!" she called to us once more.

"We will!" I answered for Hoban.

He gave me a stern look. I shrugged my shoulders. Well, if I didn't say something the three of us would be here 'till dusk. Those two like to talk. And I just like to get the job done.

"You know where we're going?" I asked as Kai turned out the lights to _Serenity_ and sat in the cold dark, waiting for our return.

"Yeah," he said, pulling out the blueprints.

"Good," I turned back, happy to see the ship was almost completely concealed in darkness. Kai would be safe.

Turning back to Hoban I clenched my teeth together. "Let's do this."

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

Blending in wasn't the problem. No, I made a pretty good purple belly... if I did say so myself. And Mecca was magnificent. She fit the part perfectly well, being as cultured and confident as any of the best companions. I was proud of her.

But in terms of problems- it came down to time. The boys weren't afforded much time to get in and get the job done... without getting caught.

It was only so long before the host found out what was happening. And until then I hoped desperately that I didn't-

"Can I offer you a drink sir?" A waiter in a white dress coat was speaking to me.

"Yeah, sure," I said. What the hell, I could use a drink. It would calm my nerves.

"Had that champagne shipped in," another voice said from behind me.

Spinning around I saw what appeared to be a purple-belly dressed in a nice tuxedo. A getup that was nicer than mine. I gulped. I realized that I was talking to the owner.

"Must have been expensive," I remarked, and then kicked myself for making a stupid comment. What was money to these people? It had as much value as kindling.

He laughed, "I like to have good alcohol at these things, it makes them more bearable."

An Alliance member I could relate to. Hell froze over.

He stretched out his arm and offered his hand, "Smith, Tyler Smith."

"Cale Brody," I returned with a smile.

"Brody, eh? I apologize, but I don't remember seeing your name on the guest list," he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Shit.

"No, I know. I'm here in the place of my college and good friend, Doctor Lin Ming." I used the name of the doctor we had met on Shinon.

The host's face lit up, "Yes, I know that man very well. We've actually worked together on a few projects. He's a brilliant scientist. I actually owe much of my success to him."

"Is that right? I didn't know the Alliance was so interested in chemistry," I added.

"You'd be surprised Mr. Brody. I think that chemistry is one of the most important sciences the Alliance can invest in right now."

I nodded my head cordially. Inside my ribcage my heart was leaping through my entrails.

"Are you here with anyone?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes... yes actually, my wife," I pointed to Mecca who was involved in a deep conversation with an older looking man. She glanced over and I smiled at her.

Smith's eyes lingered on her body for longer than I would have liked, but luckily Mecca didn't notice. "She's lovely," Smith said, clapping me on the back hard.

"Thanks."

"So what kind of work do you do with Doctor Ming?" Smith was lading to me to the bar and ordered me another glass of champagne.

"We're actually looking into uranium right now," I said.

"Uranium? Fascinating."

"It is actually. Do you know anything of it?" I inquired casually.

He shook his head, "No, sadly. But, I do have quite an impressive collection of rocks and minerals that only a chemist such as yourself could truly appreciate. Would you like a tour?"

He was playing right into my hand. "That would be perfect."

Smith smiled, "Always happy to oblige."

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr.**)

The party was taking place downstairs and Mav and I were trying desperately not to disturb it. We tip toed around the upstairs, staying as hidden as humanly possible. As the navigator I was forced to take the lead and I worried about having Mav behind me.

After all, he was a big guy. And big guys are usually clumsy.

"Doing alright?" I whispered behind me.

"Yes mother," Mav answered.

I examined the blueprints that had been folded neatly in my back pocket. "We're looking for the library," I confirmed.

"And where is this library?" asked Mav.

"Well according to these, and if these are correct, it should be located down the hall and the first door on the right."

We began walking to the hallway, leaving the window behind us open ajar so we would be able to sneak back out the way we came in. The light and sound from the party wafted up the stairs and made us cautious as we began our move to the library.

"There's something wrong here," I pointed out as we reached the room where the library was supposed to be.

"What are you talkin' about?" asked Mav.

"Well, we are supposed to be looking at a library right now and I don't know about you, but all I see is a wall," I whispered impatiently.

Mav furrowed his eyebrows together. Leaning forward he knocked quietly on the wall. "It's hollow," he concluded, "and I think that mister downstairs has some stuff hidden in there that he really don't want us to see."

I nodded my head, "He's a smart bastard, that's for sure."

"There has to be a way in from somewhere."

"Yeah, but where would he hide the entrance?" I questioned.

Mav looked confident as he strode lightly around the corner. I followed.

*

(Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.)

Smith lead me into a room that was darkened from the lack of light. The moon shone in on the scene, shrouding the two of us in milky light. Smith offered me a cigar, but I declined. Lighting up, he breathed in a long lungful of sweet-smelling smoke.

"Uranium is an important asset of the Alliance, you understand, don't you Brody?" he began.

"Yes," I answered.

"Its in my best interest to keep people around me that I can trust. I've found too many rats in my system... many more than I had expected."

I didn't answer this time. I knew things were getting too close for my liking. Was Smith on to me? I had to find Mecca and get the hell out.

"It's been a pleasure meeting and talking with you sir, but I'm afraid-"

"What? Leaving so soon?"

Smith smiled malevolently at me. I spun round to see two men holding Mecca. She was bound and gagged, fighting to yell. I could feel a heavy hand on my shoulder and I swallowed a large amount of nervousness that suddenly rose in me.

Smith got up. As he walked toward Mecca I could feel my hands being tied behind my back. Smith ran a finger down Mecca's back. She strained to look away from him.

"The party is just beginning," he said, sighing contentedly.


	11. Electricity

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*

(**Marvin 'Maverick' Sinclair**)

There's nothing in the 'verse that's as awful as waiting for something bad to happen. I knew that something bad was going to happen. I knew it all the way down in my bones.

But we found the secret entrance to the library with nothing happening. Hoban and I walked in and no traps went off. When Hoban pulled an article about uranium mining off of a shelf, no alarm sounded. When we crept out of the room, no guards were there to greet us and as we slipped out the window and landed on firm ground we had made it.

Nothing was wrong.

Then why did I have this gut wrenching feeling that something was?

Kai pulled _Serenity_ out of the shadows and landed it so we could walk aboard conveniently but without letting others know what was happening in detail.

"Where are Mal and Mecca?" she asked.

Hoban furrowed his brow, "Mav and I thought they were with you."

She shook her head. I could see lines around her eyes crease with worry.

I put a hand on her shoulder, "They're probably just enjoyin' the party is all."

Hoban nodded, reassuring her.

But I could tell that the air in the _Serenity_ at that moment was heavy... it was real heavy. Looking back at the house, I could see the lights flickering nicely. That damned feeling wouldn't scram from my stomach.

Now I was worried.

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds**)

The guard sat me down roughly. He untied my hands behind me back, and for a second I though he was about to let me go free. The feeling of hope died fast as he handcuffed me to the desk where I was now confined.

I observed my surroundings. They had me in a plain white room that looked more like a storage room than anything else. Pipes lined the walls and as I looked out a window I saw that we were underwater. Did he have us under the Bellerophon sea?

Smith walked into the room. He had his bow tie undone and sat across from me. He didn't look at me as he placed his cuff-links on the table.

"Cost me a fortune, these things," he said calmly.

I ran my finger across the wood desk. "Did you buy them with the blood money you accept from the Alliance every two weeks?" I inquired, matching his stoic demeanor.

He smiled, "A real brown-coat, in my storage closet. Tell me, are the rest of the rebels as smart as you are? If so, the alliance has an easier job than I thought."

I didn't respond.

"Tonight," he began, "you're going to help me find out some information I need. You're going to follow my rules and you are not going to resist me."

Looking Smith in the eye I promptly answered, "I'd rather die than help you find the rest of us."

Smith smirked. "How noble of you, but tell me, would you let your wife die?"

Two men brought in Mecca who was kicking and writhing wildly in their arms. She stopped abruptly when she saw me, and although she was gagged I knew the question she was asking me.

_What the hell happened?_

"Chain her up," Smith instructed.

The men wound a chain around her wrists and then threw the rest over a pipe in the room. They pulled the loose end down so her feet lifted off the ground. When she was suspended in the air I could see tears welling in her eyes. Despite the fact that she tried to blink them back, one stray rolled down her cheek.

I wanted to tell her it was going to be okay. I wanted to wipe the tear off of her skin. But I couldn't.

Instead Smith was the one who ran his thumb under her eye. "Don't worry my dear, we'll get you down soon. Your husband just has to answer a few questions. Okay?" he said in a slow, quiet voice.

"Get your hands off her!" I warned.

He chuckled lightly. "We'll, we'd better cut to the chase. First question my friend: what is your real name?" asked Smith sitting down at the table.

I didn't answer immediately at first.

"Suddenly so quiet? Here's what I'm going to do to her if you don't start talking."

He snapped his fingers lightly and one of his thugs raised a rod to Mecca's back. I thought they were going to hit her with it, but instead as he touched it to her skin I heard a zap and her muscles bunched painfully together.

They were using a cattle rod to electrocute her.

"Reynolds! Malcolm Reynolds!" I yelled.

He gave me a disbelieving look. "You can't be him, Reynolds' is too old."

"No, I'm his son, my mother named me after my father," I answered.

He raised his brow at me, "A Reynolds, eh? Even better. Alright, next question: who sent you here?"

"Doctor Lin Ming." To hell with the doctor.

"Where did you find the uranium?"

This one I stayed quiet for. But looking over at Mecca, I could feel my palms beginning to sweat. She looked terrified, but shook her head anyways. She didn't want me to answer that question, but how I could I not?

"The clock's ticking Mr. Reynolds."

Mecca shook her head again.

"Boys, can you please take Mrs. Reynolds' gag out, I want to hear the full effect of the prong," he instructed his men.

I closed my eyes as Mecca yelled. Her head hung and her golden curls were getting stuck to her brow with sweat.

"Now I'm going to ask you once more Mr. Reynolds and I expect an answer. Where did you find the uranium?"

From behind me, Mecca spit a mouthful of blood on the ground and looked up at me. "Don't tell him Mal, don't you tell that stupid Alliance son of a bitch."

"Mec-" I said, but Smith cut me off.

"And I thought we'd done enough damage. If I were you, I'd teach your wife to hold her tongue. It may just end up saving her life." Smith walked over to Mecca and held her chin roughly. "If you don't shut up, I'll have to ruin that pretty face of yours."

Mecca narrowed her eyes and half-smiled. Her teeth were stained red. Leaning in she said, "Do your worst, you purple-bellied bastard."

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr.**)

I wondered where he would have taken them. Mav and I came to the conclusion that it was more likely that Mecca and Mal were being held against their will than in the bushes somewhere drunk and ravishing each other.

"I checked the back, they're not there," said Mav walking back to meet me.

"Where could they be?" I wondered aloud.

"Remember back in the army there was this cell we used to have where they'd interrogate people?" he asked me.

"Yeah."

"I think that if I were some rich Alliance toadie then that's where I'd bee keepin' prisoners,"he concluded, looking over at me for my approval.

"That doesn't sound too insane," I said, nodding my head.

"Good, then let's go."

But as we turned around we saw two guards. They looked awful upset.

"Lookie 'ere," Mav said, running his eyes over the two brutes. "We come to Bellerophon to kick some ass and now we finally get a chance to do that."

"If I ain't mistakin' the two the boss' got down there are getting their asses kicked. Turns out you brown coats ain't as tough as you like to say you are," the bearded guard slurred angrily.

Lashing out, Mav managed to plant a hard fist on the bearded guard and the two fell to the ground, writhing madly to get another punch in.

The second guard of the tall, lanky breed lunged at me, firing off his gun. The kid was inexperienced. He'd just drawn attention to our situation. I grabbed his wrist, trying to point the gun in another direction as it fired off two more times.

Mav landed a good kick to the guard's ribs and threw a vase over his back. At that moment the bearded man pulled out his pistol and Mav did the same. They stared at each other with unwavering intensity. The lanky guard and I were in the same predicament.

I backed up against an undersea window, hoping to land in the soft curtains. My back hit something metal and uncomfortable. Looking behind me I saw that it was a pressure valve. One that was separating the Bellerophon sea from the inside of the structure. And judging from the window that displayed salty water, we had gone down far enough to be underwater.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Put your goddamn weapons down or I'll drown the place!"

The two guards hesitated. "He's bluffing," one of them whispered assuredly.

"Wanna bet?" I put my hand on the wheel and began turning it.

"Don't!" To my surprise all three (Mav and the two guards) were looking at me with shocked expressions. The clatter of weapons was heard on the tile floor almost instantaneously.

"Tell me where they are!" I demanded.

"Where who are?"

"Don't play stupid with me! The two brown coats, a woman and a man," Mav interjected, aiming his pistol at the purple-bellies.

"In the basement, we don't know which room."

"Like hell you don't!" I threatened again by putting my hand on the valve and turning it. It squeaked noisily.

"Third door on the right."

Mav looked at me, victory fresh in his eyes. "Let's get outta here."

The two men pressed their faces into the ground as we passed them. I could feel my heart swell slightly with male pride. From the way Mav was walking, all tall and his head held high, I could tell that he felt the same way.

We were almost half-way to the door when I heard a loud screeching noise. Turning around I saw the valve turn and then turn again. I had unwillingly begun to sink the estate.

"You _idiot_," Mav swore loudly, "you broke the seal!"

Mav and I took off down the hallway, the sound of water rushing behind us.


	12. Flood

Disclaimer: Joss owns it.

(**Malcolm Reynolds Jr.**)

Mecca hung limp from the pipe, passed out. My ears were ringing after having earned myself a punch in the back of the head for trying to work myself out of my own chains. The scene was not good.

My vision slowly lost its blur and I looked up to see Smith's eyes red and wild, looking down on me in a vicious light. The ring in my ears did not die. I could see him yelling, but I was wondering what he was saying. My eyes glanced down at the ground.

To my amazement a puddle was beginning to form at his feet. It was sliding in from the cracks under the door. The flow grew stronger and suddenly Smith had realized what was happening.

His paradise was about to be lost. An then my hearing returned.

"Go! Get everyone out!" he yelled.

I did not know if it was on purpose, or by a higher power's gracious will, but the key to my chains fell out of one of the guard's pockets as he exited the room. And there it was, the water slowly rushing to it. And what was even more miraculous was that Smith didn't notice.

I reached with my foot to slide it over to where I was sitting. The only problem now was getting it close enough to my hands for me to actually unlock myself. So close, and yet so far.

But just then, another miraculous thing happened.

Hoban and Mav rushed through the door, knocking Smith to the ground and sticking a gun to his cheek. "Thought you'd get away didn't you, you slimy, no good..." Mav continued on, grumbling incoherent curses as Hoban walked over to help me.

"The key's under my foot," I told him, lifting my dress shoes which were now stained and ruined from the water.

He nodded his head and grabbed the small metal device. In an instant my chains were unlocked and I rubbed my wrists gratefully, trying to rid my skin of the awful rawness.

"My god, what the hell did they do to Mec?" asked Hoban in disbelief.

When I reached Mecca I slowly lifted her chin. She groaned and some blood spilled onto her lip. I took a handkerchief and wiped the liquid from her face. Her eyes fluttered open; they were blood-shot and tired looking.

"Dad?" she asked weakly.

"No, but we'll get you to him soon," I answered reaching up to undo her own binds.

Then she murmured something incoherently. "What did you say Mecca?" I asked her.

"My dress," she said softly, "my dress is falling, can you pull it up for me?"

"Oh, sure." I reached my hands to the fabric under her armpits and pulled the material back up so it was covering her more fully. Then I set to work unraveling the chains. I could feel the water gathering at my feet... then my ankles.

"Hurry up Mal," Mav told me in a warning tone. He was right. We'd have to make a break for it. And fast.

Finally the chains came unraveled and she fell limply into my arms. The binds clattered around our feet and Mav put the gun to Smith's temple. The man cowered in fear.

"Wait," I instructed, handing Mec over to Hoban who took her in his arms instead. "You two leave. This man and I have a score to settle."

*

(**Hoban Washbourne Jr.**)

Mecca felt almost weightless in my arms. It was surprisingly easy to run. By the time we reached the end of the hall the water was up to my calf. I was worried about Mal getting out in time, but I knew that whatever he was doing in there needed to be done.

He wouldn't forgive himself for what happened to Mec, I knew that much. But at the same time torturing that purple-belly would make he feel a little better.

"We have to hurry," Mav said urgently as we made our way up to the main floor.

"No shit," I shot back and continued to race through the complicated corridors of the house.

A loud scream elicited from the basement. Mav smiled slightly, "I would love to be down there right now," he said, whistling wistfully.

"Wouldn't we all?"

"Well, we did see our fair share of action tonight," he added.

We made it to the window where we began our search of the house. Mecca was moaning in my arms as we set off across the terrace to meet Kai. She rushed out of the ship and met us half-way. Her eyes were stained in worry.

"What happened? I saw the guests running out of there madly and I was so worried..." Even in the dim light I could see that she had been crying.

"It ain't us you have to worry about," Mav said, nodding to Mecca.

"Oh _dio_," she muttered as her gaze swept over her friend's crumpled figure.

"Yup," Mav agreed, wiping his brow.

"Get her inside now," Kai ordered and we obeyed willingly.

"And where's the captain?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow and answered, "Where do you think?"

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

I watched as Smith looked up at me. His a expression was a mix of fear and anger. I smiled at him. "Oh you made a mistake tonight, brother," I told him.

I grabbed onto his jacket and pinned him against the wall. Reaching for the chain that lay at our feet I began weaving it around his hands in a similar fashion.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What's the matter, don't like the taste of your own medicine?"

I threw the chain over the same pipe and strung him up. He winced in pain and his eyes were beginning to well with tears, I wondered how Mecca was able to hold her resolve if a grown man was ready to cry at his own predicament.

"Now, I don't have a cattle prong with me, but I think that my fists will work just fine," I informed him.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just ask a few questions is all," I smiled at him warmly. Then I wound up and brought my fist hard into his stomach. He wheezed loudly, the air knocked clean out of him.

I shook my wrist to get rid of the dull throb the punch had caused. "Man that felt good," I said. And it did. It felt really good to put that man in his place.

"Now," I began, folding my arms, "let's begin. Where is the Alliance mining uranium?"

He didn't answer at first. "Do I need to repeat the question?"

Smith's eyes didn't look at me. Instead he was focusing on a point behind my head, refusing to meet my gaze. My fist connected hard with the upper part of his sternum. Smith yelled loudly.

"They're mining it on a distant moon. One that's just been terraformed."

"Mining on a moon? What's it's name."

He kept his mouth shut in a hard, thin line.

"Oh, you're just asking for it now, ain't ya?" I observed in an annoyed tone.

The water was rushing in faster and almost up to my knees when I hit him for a third time. His scream echoed off the walls of the cramped pipe room.

"It doesn't have a formal name. They're calling it _Operation Twenty_."

"And if I'm not mistaken, the uranium is being mined to make weapons of mass destruction?" I added in, just to be sure.

He was silent.

"Don't make me hit you again."

"Yes, they're mining it to make nuclear weapons to fight you cowards."

I laughed out loud at that comment. I shook my head and rolled down my sleeves. Before I exited the door way he said, "When they find me, you won't have a chance."

"When who finds you?"

"When my guards find me and I send them after you, they're going to turn into a human piece of meatloaf," he spat angrily.

I walked toward him and slapped him on the cheek twice lightly. "When your guards find you here, which they won't because they fled, they'll wonder why I left a sorry bastard like you alive."

I dug into my pocket and found the small brass key that I used to lock up the chains above his head. I placed it on the metal table in plain sight. "Good luck," I said, smiling.

With that I left smith alone, sobbing.


	13. Home

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon's creation, not mine.

*

(**Mecca Tam**)

I knew that I wasn't on Serenity before I opened my eyes. First of all, there was the smell of good, home-cooked food. None of the crew could cook that well. Except for Kai maybe. I sat up in bed and was made immediately aware of my body's aching predicament.

I winced as I pulled off my sleep shirt to examine my skin. It was peppered in deep blue bruises. My mouth had the aftertaste of a rusted nail.

"You're up!"

A voice and figure I knew all to well was standing inside the door frame.

"Mom," I whispered.

They had brought me back home.

Mom pulled me into her arms and held me there. I clutched her back, burying my face into her sweater. I could feel her sob against my body and stroke my hair lovingly. I had forgotten how much I missed it here. I had forgotten how healed I felt every time Mom pulled me into one of her embraces.

"We were so worried about you- your father and I," she said as she gently rocked me.

"I'm so happy to be home," I assured her.

We finally pulled away and I could see her expression still clouded with concern. She brushed a few stray tears from her swollen eyes.

"Where's Dad?" I asked.

"Downstairs, making breakfast..." she answered, combing her hand through my hair.

"Was I out for a while?"

She nodded her head, "About a day and a half. Dad thought it would be a good idea to sedate you and let you sleep after the trauma."

I put my face in my hands and impatiently rubbed sleep dust from my eyelids. I scratched my scalp and yawned. I suddenly felt tired again. It was truly incredible how much torture takes out of you. I flopped back down on the bed, gathering the sheets around my chest.

Mom threw the shirt back at me. "Put this on and come to get something to eat if you feel up to it. If not just yell for me and I'll bring you up something, okay?"

"I think I'm alright to walk," I informed Mom, preparing myself to get out of bed.

"Alright, well only if you're up to it. Please don't strain yourself," she said patting my knee.

I nodded and waited until she left the room. It felt as though my joints had been pressed together and held with some sort of adhesive. It took me a while to dress and when I looked in the mirror my appearance was positively ghastly. Dark circles had formed under my eyes and my hair had lost it's luster. I reminded myself that I would need to take a shower soon.

I walked down the stairs and the smell of a warm breakfast hugged my senses.

I walked into the kitchen to see my father holding a plate of food. He smiled at me and I returned it. "Hi baby," he said placing the plate down at the table and kissing me on the head.

"Hey Dad," I said sitting down. I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked with almost the same amount of concern as Mom. Dad was the parent that was less harder to worry.

It was probably because he was a doctor.

"Yeah, still a little sore, but better."

I bit into a piece of toast and stared out the back room window. The fields had been freshly harvested and now all that was left was flat, barren land. Only the pine trees this time of year retained their needles, the rest coated the ground in a thick, organic blanket.

I swallowed the dry piece of bread and suddenly I lost my appetite.

"Have you seen Mal anywhere?" I asked.

Dad was distracted by something in the kitchen and didn't answer right away. "Yeah, he came around here a few times. You were still sleeping though."

I held the piece of toast between my teeth as I grabbed a jacket and threw it over my shoulders. "I'll be back!" I called, running out the back porch and around the house.

I could see Mal's house from across the street. Mal senior had managed to sustain a large plot of land with cattle and horses. My family rented out the fields that surrounded our house. My parents weren't natural farmers.

Running across the dirt road I reached their driveway, munching on the last bits of my breakfast. I then resumed a less hurried pace as I walked to the front door. I knocked on it politely.

Inara was the one who answered.

"Mecca?" she pulled me into another hug. "I heard what happened, we were so worried about you," her eyes were full of hurt and apology.

"It's fine," I said, shrugging her off. I hated when people had to apologize to me. "Is Mal anywhere around here?"

"Yes, he's in the stables-"

"Thanks!" I said and took off toward the barn.

I pulled the jacket closer around my body and threw open the door. It was a smaller than I remembered. Horse stalls lined the barn and I could see Mal at the end of the barn, leaning on the door. He was dressed in breeches and a loose cotton shirt, looking over the range. I walked toward him, being sure not to disturb him.

"You never realize how much you miss it until you return, don't you?" I asked as I stood beside him.

He glanced over, "You're up?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "You tell me."

He smiled but didn't say anything. That was Mal's way. He was silent when it came to more personal things. That and he wasn't very good at making conversation in the first palce.

"Any horses in?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, Bandit and Lincoln, why?"

I nodded to the horses, "Remember how to saddle up space cadet, or do I need to teach you how to do that as well?"

*

(**Malcolm Reynolds**)

Walking through the house I yelled for Inara.

"In here!" she yelled back.

"Have you seen Junior anywhere. I put him to work in the barn and I need him to drive some cattle for me, but I can't find him anywhere."

I bit into an apple, savoring the sour pulp in my mouth. These had been picked too early, but what the hell. My stomach doesn't know the difference anyway.

"I think he took the horses out with Mecca," she explained.

I noticed that she was rolling out dough. She sprinkled more flour onto the counter and kneaded the dough until it was soft in her hands.

"Please tell me you're not using these apples for that pie," I told her, swallowing the last bit of pulp.

She widened her eyes, challenging, "And what if I am?"

"Then you'd be making what we call out here on the ranch, a terrible mistake," I informed her.

"Well," she smiled, "lucky for you, I'm not forcing it down your throat."

I smiled back. I walked to the window, leaning over the sink and observing the two figures riding off toward the tree line. "Mecca and Junior, eh?" I speculated.

"Don't say anything!" warned Inara.

"Why, is something happening?" I asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know, but if you say anything you'll ruin the chances of anything _ever_ happening. Knowing you..."

"Knowing me..." I trailed off, too intrigued to care about what my wife was teasing me about.

*

(**Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds Jr.**)

"Come on!" Mecca called pushing the horse faster across the range.

The beast responded willingly beneath her, gaining ground as it sped up. I had taken my dad's old ranch horse Bandit and the nag was slower and lazier than molasses in an ice storm. Bandit pinned his withered ears and bucked as he settled into a bone-jarring canter.

Lincoln was the younger steed and far more willing to go running.

"Christ your horse is slow," she commented, slowing her own horse to rest beside me.

"Well, its not everyday you pull someone out of retirement to run a marathon, eh boy?" I patted Bandit's sweaty neck and he snorted in agreement.

"I missed this," she said, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath of cool, clean air.

"That's the problem with space. There's too much of it and not enough for us to move around in," I commented.

Mecca laughed. Then she pointed to a stream. "We probably should Lincoln get something to drink," she suggested.

"Yeah, and give him a rest. If it weren't for my slow horse you'd run that animal into the ground," I said.

"Naw, him and I are just having a little fun."

Mecca trotted Lincoln to the stream and dismounted. Bandit and I arrived a little later, I allowed the horse to take his steady pace to the water source.

Mecca was stroking the horse's neck affectionately. "I really love it out here. I think I know why our parents would want to live here."

"Really? I couldn't wait to get off this planet when I signed up for the army."

"You didn't miss it?" I asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe a little."

She shook her head, smirking, "We all loved it here growing up. You loose your appreciation for how big planets are when you get off of them."

I nodded my head but didn't answer. I did not want to spoil the moment.


End file.
